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Definition – What is “Follow-on”?
In Cricket, a team who is forced to follow-on has to take their second inning immediately after their first.
Follow-on can only be forced on the team that bats second and does not score enough runs in their first inning.
If, at the end of the second batting team’s first inning, the second batting team is behind by a certain number of runs, the first batting team can force follow-on.
Normal batting sequence:
- Team batting first – first inning
- Team batting second – first inning
- Team batting first – second inning
- Team batting second – second inning
Follow-on batting sequence:
- Team batting first – first inning
- Team batting second – first inning
- Team batting second – second inning
- Team batting first – second inning
All rules for follow-on can be found in Law 14 of the Laws of Cricket.
Formula – How to calculate whether follow on can be enforced
- After each team has batted one inning, find the run differential between the two.
- If the run differential is more than the differential for the length of the match, the team that bats first can enforce follow on.
- If the start of the match is delayed, then use the number of remaining days.
Run differentials:
- 5 day match: 200 runs
- 4 day match: 150 runs
- 3 day match: 150 runs
- 2 day match: 100 runs
- 1 day match: 75 runs
Sources and more resources
- Wikipedia – Follow-on – Wikipedia entry on follow-on.
- The Laws of Cricket – Follow-on – The official rules of follow on in the laws of cricket.
- More on follow-on with Metro UK – What is the follow-on rule in cricket? and Cricketers Hub – What is the Follow On in Cricket?,